Investigating the System Flotation Kinetics of Fine Chalcopyrite in a REFLUX™ Flotation Cell using a Standardised Flotation Cell Reference Method

Abstract

There is increasing recognition of the need to develop and optimise the individual sub-processes of flotation. The REFLUX™ Flotation Cell offers the opportunity to achieve this goal within a single system, fundamentally by decoupling the water recovery and hence entrainment from the imposed gas flux. In this study, the flotation kinetics achieved using a batch mechanical cell were determined for a pure chalcopyrite feed less than 0.1 mm. These results were then used to assess the performance of the REFLUX™ Flotation Cell operated under continuous steady state conditions. A standardised flotation cell reference method was established based on the ratio of the product flux of the REFLUX™ Flotation Cell relative to the plug-flow equivalent result for a batch mechanical cell. This analysis, conducted as a function of the particle size, indicated a performance ratio of ∼3–20 fold. Moreover, the analysis provided insights into the effects of the operating conditions on the kinetics of the REFLUX™ Flotation Cell. This work was then extended to establish an assessment of the counter current washing achieved as a function of the particle size for when the pure chalcopyrite ore was combined with ultrafine silica.